Fly fishing in South Tyrol

South Tyrol and the Val Badia/Gadertal valley are a dream for fly fishers! Here is an overview of the most beautiful regions for fly fishing in South Tyrol:

Gadera/Gader river

Gadera/Gader in Pederoa – Brown Trouts in Front of Our Hotel

Beautiful trout river directly at the hotel. The Gadera/Gader is ideal for nymph fishing; you can fish here for brown trout and arctic char. You may also come across a rainbow trout.

0 km from Hotel Posta Pederoa, fee: 30,00 Euro

Gader in Badia – Fly Fishing at the Foot of the Dolomites

This preserve is located in the magnificent scenery of the Dolomites in Alta Badia, an area which has made itself a name as the summer region for winter sports and trekking. Here, you might be shortly distracted by the impressing views of Sasso di Santa Croce/Heiligkreuzkofel and the Lavarella group. The mountain river with large stones, waterholes and rapids makes for an excellent fishing preserve. The lower part is calmer; the upper part, despite carrying less water, is a little wilder. This stretch is easily accessible and suitable for all.

6 km from Hotel Posta Pederoa

Gader in S. Lorenzo/St. Lorenzen – Easy Fishing

Before the Gader meets the river Rienza/Rienz in S. Lorenzo/St. Lorenzen, the water impresses with a beautiful section. Here you can see graylings in love in April and while wading you can easily trick these silver-coloured fish with a nymph or a dry fly. You can wade in this river almost everywhere without problem. Here you can fish saiblings, graylings of every size, marble trout and hybrids.

This section of Rienza/Rienz s situated beneath Castel Badia (Sonnenburg). The river flows across the village S. Lorenzo/St. Lorenzen and is surrounded by roads and houses, but it is rich in fish. The upper section has a few very good graylings with price-worthy lengths of up to 60 cm; they are ideal for nymph fishing. In autumn, if the water is low, the fish swim closer to the surface. The lower section is deep, flows slowly and holds the one or other big surprise. Fishing is also possible with the dry fly. I, your host Arthur, prefer the streamer in this section. The last section is just like a lake, has a slight current and is ideal for fishing with streamers, especially in spring. It is also common to catch graylings, brown trout, rainbow trout and the queen of fish – the marble trout, the so-called fishing Grand Slam!

Catch & Release fishing section of the Rienza/Rienz river; physically it is not easy here. There are raging passages, which are difficult to access, but also calmer zones where you can wait for the graylings or trout to rise by themselves. Also this zone shows high potential for a fishing Grand Slam. Here, downhill streamer fishing is very good; you can also find a calmer section or a deep waterhole and fish in a relaxed style with a nymph or a dry fly. Every year many marble trout between 60 and 93 cm are caught here – with the streamer as well as with the nymph.

28 km from Hotel Posta Pederoa (section from the bridge near the Rubner company until just before Camping Gisser), Catch & Release: 25,00 Euro

Rienza/Rienz in Chienes/Kiens – Nothing for Softies

Rienza/Rienz crams itself here between two high bays, this section is thus not easily reachable; if the water level is high, it is difficult to wade here and to fish. The pressure when fishing is here often low, due to the high water level which is why many a fish can hide in the deep currents and waterholes. In this section you find all five local fish species: brown trout, rainbow trout, marble trout, hybrid and grayling.

28 km from Hotel Posta Pederoa (section from Kniepass until the bridge at Rubner company)

Above the Valdaora/Olang Reservoir – Rise of the Graylings

Small section in the upper section of Rienza/Rienz. The preserve ends in the Valdaora/Olang reservoir. The river Rienza/Rienz carries less water here than in the lower part and is surrounded by a lush forest. If the water level is ideal, then this place is perfect for grayling fishing. The local fishermen joke that the fish bite, if the local train in Val Pusteria/Pustertal passes by. The train goes every 30 minutes.

34 km from Hotel Posta Pederoa (section from the upper end of Valdaora/Olang reservoir until a height of 1,060 m)

Aurino/Ahr

Aurino/Ahr near Brunico/Bruneck – Fishing Oasis in Brunico/Bruneck

This is the last section of Aurino/Ahr before the river ends in Rienza/Rienz: a small oasis at the gates of the little town Brunico/Bruneck. This section is easily to reach and easy to wade in. If the water is clear, you can see the fish rise. Near the gravel mill your adrenaline will rise, when you fish on sight for the large graylings.

Aurino/Ahr is surely one of the waters in Italy with the most graylings. When it comes to the fish size, the river can certainly compete with the acclaimed rivers in Slovenia. This river is ideal for nymph fishing; however, when the caddy fly larva hatch out in autumn, then it is time to put on the sedge. Careful with the rod tip, examples over 50 cm are no exception!

Valle di Casies/Gsiesertal is beautiful: the crystal-clear Casies/Gsies river flows across green meadows, due to its small size, ideal for the light nymph. This is where arctic char and brown trout live. The good news: if there is high tide everywhere else, then you can still fish in Casies/Gsies.

Villgratner River – Face to Face with the Dry Fly

The Villgratner river is a water, which is mostly still clear, when other waters are no good for fishing, due to heavy rain. There are artificial pools with crystal-clear water where trout rise almost all day long, just like in a chalk stream in Slovenia or England. Here you can test the flies because the trout see everything and do not bite each one. But watch out! One mistake and you are off your game!

In Villgraten valley in Austria, fee: 30,00 Euro

Lakes

Prags Wild Lake – Dolomite Lake in a Nature Park

Beautiful lake in the Fanes-Sennes-Braies/Prags nature park, surrounded by massive Dolomite peaks. A beautiful walk leads you around the entire lake and you find many good spots to fish for trout. Here you fish with the dry fly, if you see the fish rising. Otherwise you fish with little streamers or little nymphs. You can also rent boats – however, you should negotiate the price, otherwise it could get expensive!

The Neves reservoir is situated at 1,850 metres above sea level above Lappago/Lappach in the valley Selva dei Molini/Mühlwald. The blue water mirrors the surrounding glaciers, a true nature spectacle! Fly fishing in Neves is pure relaxation. You can catch rainbow trout, brown trout and many arctic char with the dry fly or the streamer. One surprise at this altitude is the graylings – they were planted here about 15 years ago and naturally they reproduce, but not like in the valley rivers in April, but in July. You need to consider that the lake is covered four long months in ice. It is a challenge to catch the arctic char with the dry fly; they rise fast like a flash!